Holiday Shopping Safety

The holidays are here and many Florida residents are flocking to the malls and shopping centers in record numbers. Safety should always be a priority while shopping. In the rush to take advantage of this season’s sales, holiday shoppers should take extra precautions to keep themselves and those who are with them safe.

Pay attention

It is very important for everyone to carefully assess their surroundings at all times. Criminals look for distracted shoppers who are not aware of what is going on around them, states MoneyBasicsU. Shoppers who are oblivious to everything that is happening because they are caught in conversation with someone next to them or fully engaged in texting on their cellphones are inadvertently exposing themselves to danger.

Keep valuables in trunk

Prior to parking anywhere, shoppers should take inventory of what is inside of their vehicles. They should avoid leaving their valuables in plain sight. Shoppers should lock all of their valuable possessions and merchandise inside of their trunks to keep them from becoming items of interest to potential criminals.

Parking lot safety

Shoppers should make parking lot safety a priority. According to ConsumerReports, not doing so leaves many shoppers at risk for parking lot burglaries and assaults because they are easy targets for criminals to prey upon. People should also park in well-lit areas and heavily populated areas of these structures. Shoppers should ask for security escorts to their vehicles to ensure they remain safe.

Shoppers who take extra precautions to monitor their surroundings and practice safe shopping behavior while they are in the stores and parking lots can avoid many of the dangers that are lurking.